Football ground: kick-off pushed back yet again

If and when a new stadium is built, it will have been at least a decade since Scarborough were permanently playing in the town

Published:13:07Saturday 06 December 2014

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Football won’t be coming home to Scarborough until at least 2017, after the heavily-delayed Weaponness development was pushed back yet again.

Scarborough’s side will have been out of town for over a decade by the time the ground is built, which is now estimated to be at the start of the 2017/2018 season.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the council’s multi-million pound development, with Scarborough Athletic claiming a full planning application is expected to be submitted by the end of December.

But with falling attendances at the club’s makeshift Bridlington base coupled with growing fan frustration over the stream of delays, there is concern over what impact the latest setback will have on football in the town.

“The longer this is delayed, the harder it’s going to be for the club,” said Eastfield councillor Tony Randerson, who has supported Scarborough since the 1950s.

“It’s going to be hard work to keep the club going. I’m sure they will but it will take more effort from everybody.”

The latest setback was announced at Friday’s fans’ forum at The Old Vic.

When the sporting village was initially mooted, it was hoped the club would be back home in Scarborough by the start of this season, yet the club kicked off their campaign 20 miles away.

The spate of delays that have blighted the project since it’s start even led to current players coming out to voice their frustration over the plans - with stalwart Jimmy Beadle airing doubts that the ground will ever see the light of day.